New boat dimensions wide-beam

[Fraclowe 6]

OK, I am an expat looking to " come home " for retirement,  I want to live on the canals for a few years before old age forbids, I am looking to buy a hull and have it fitted out , would have to be a W/Beam (for wife) with the restrictions that gives , I am originally from the Wigan/leigh area anyway so that fits, I would however like to travel around as much as possible, I know midlands is out but  I have read other posts and it seems if I want to go over the Wash to get D'aan Saaf I would need to restrict to 57' x 12'6 to get thru the Aire/Calder/Hebble stretch , have I summed this up right , where can I go to get hull plans for this so I can start playing around with designs , preferably in feet n inches as thats the only scale rule I can get over ere, any other thoughts , hints or handy links are more than welcome , thanks in advance 

 

ps, what's the tallest u can make the boat from canal water level 

[Tony Brooks 3435]

You won't get a wide beam down south via the wash - the Northampton flight of locks is narrow beam.

[LadyG 939]

13 minutes ago, Fraclowe said:

OK, I am an expat looking to " come home " for retirement,  I want to live on the canals for a few years before old age forbids, I am looking to buy a hull and have it fitted out , would have to be a W/Beam (for wife) with the restrictions that gives , I am originally from the Wigan/leigh area anyway so that fits, I would however like to travel around as much as possible, I know midlands is out but  I have read other posts and it seems if I want to go over the Wash to get D'aan Saaf I would need to restrict to 57' x 12'6 to get thru the Aire/Calder/Hebble stretch , have I summed this up right , where can I go to get hull plans for this so I can start playing around with designs , preferably in feet n inches as thats the only scale rule I can get over ere, any other thoughts , hints or handy links are more than welcome , thanks in advance 

 

ps, what's the tallest u can make the boat from canal water level 

Before anyone else comments can I say, you are a very brave man

oh, I see you intend to get it fitted out, then I modify above comment, you are also a very rich man ?

Most people buy a sailaway then spend three years trying to finish the job themselves.

Edited February 17 by LadyG

[Fraclowe 6]

dammit, didn't notice that, was concentrating on the north part too much, so there is no way to do it then ? 

[Graham Davis 1681]

2 minutes ago, Fraclowe said:

dammit, didn't notice that, was concentrating on the north part too much, so there is no way to do it then ? 

 

On the back of a lorry!

[dmr 1472]

1 minute ago, Fraclowe said:

dammit, didn't notice that, was concentrating on the north part too much, so there is no way to do it then ? 

 

There is no way except cranes and lorry, that is why people have narrowboats.

Essentially wide canals are North or South, with small East and West bits, the Wash only connects the Northern bits to the small Eastern bit.

 

The Calder and Hebble (with the shortest locks) only leads to the Rochdale canal and the Eastern end of this is attractive. Its technically a through route to Manchester but the Western end is difficult, especially in a wide boat, so very few wide boats tackle it (maybe one or two each year).

 

...............Dave

[Fraclowe 6]

42 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Before anyone else comments can I say, you are a very brave man

oh, I see you intend to get it fitted out, then I modify above comment, you are also a very rich man ?

Most people buy a sailaway then spend three years trying to finish the job themselves.

I want to enjoy my retirement, I neither have the skill or patience to do it myself 

[Chagall 411]

45 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Before anyone else comments can I say, you are a very brave man

oh, I see you intend to get it fitted out, then I modify above comment, you are also a very rich man ?

Most people buy a sailaway then spend three years trying to finish the job themselves.

...and you are an extremely rude woman. 

[Fraclowe 6]

38 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

There is no way except cranes and lorry, that is why people have narrowboats.

Essentially wide canals are North or South, with small East and West bits, the Wash only connects the Northern bits to the small Eastern bit.

 

The Calder and Hebble (with the shortest locks) only leads to the Rochdale canal and the Eastern end of this is attractive. Its technically a through route to Manchester but the Western end is difficult, especially in a wide boat, so very few wide boats tackle it (maybe one or two each year).

 

...............Dave

Ok maybe I have mis-read my map I had, I can go all way over the leeds liverpool go to york,sheffiled,nottingham and down to cambridge etc in up to 62ft, I just cant take the short cut down to M/c 

4 minutes ago, Chagall said:

...and you are an extremely rude woman. 

why is she rude, I didnt take offence ? 

[Alan de Enfield 8011]

10 minutes ago, Fraclowe said:

I want to enjoy my retirement, I neither have the skill or patience to do it myself 

 

 

Can I just ask if you are aware of the changes in 'propulsion' legislation that is coming into the UK boat market ?

 

The Government has pledged to certain environmental changes and as far as boats are concerned  these are :

 

By 2025 ALL boats built must be capable of being converted to zero emission propulsion (so if you fit a diesel engine now, it must be designed to be able to be removed and alternative power used).

 

By 2035 NO boats can be built that are not Zero Emission propulsion.

 

By 2050 NO boats will be allowed in UK waters unless they are Zero emission propulsion.

 

Obviously as we get nearer those dates the value of any boat which is not zero emission will fall considerably.

That £250,000 wide beam that you build today could depreciate at £10,000 per annum.

 

Just something to be aware of.

 

Plan your new boat to have zero emission propulsion from 'new'.

Many boat builders have already changed over.

 

 

 

Edited February 17 by Alan de Enfield

[Chagall 411]

1 minute ago, Fraclowe said:

Ok maybe I have mis-read my map I had, I can go all way over the leeds liverpool go to york,sheffiled,nottingham and down to cambridge etc in up to 62ft, I just cant take the short cut down to M/c 

why is she rude, I didnt take offence ? 

Well, Im glad you didn't, but keep reading the forum and welcome by the way. 

[Tony Brooks 3435]

Please be aware that if you are thinking about using house type tradespeople it is likely to end with a lot of stuff being redone and a not too satisfactory result. Spirit levels and no good on a boat, a good eye is better. Boat wiring is very different to domestic stuff and its governed by regulation

[Fraclowe 6]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Can I just ask if you are aware of the changes in 'propulsion' legislation that is coming into the UK boat market ?

 

The Government has pledged to certain environmental changes and as far as boats are concerned  these are :

 

By 2025 ALL boats built must be capable of being converted to zeo emission propulsion (so if you fit a diesel engine now, it must be designed to be able to be removed and alternative power used).

 

By 2035 NO boats can be built that are not Zero Emission propulsion.

 

By 2050 NO boats will be allowed in UK waters unless they are Zero emission propulsion.

 

Obviously as we get nearer those dates the value of any boat which is not zero emission will fall considerably.

That £250,000 wide beam that you build today could depreciate at £10,000 per annum.

 

Just something to be aware of.

 

Plan your new boat to have zero emission propulsion from 'new'.

Many boat builders have already changed over.

Yes I knew there where changes afoot, I had planned on having it electric motor and a diesel jenny that could run on veggie oil if neccasary 

[Alan de Enfield 8011]

1 hour ago, Fraclowe said:

ps, what's the tallest u can make the boat from canal water level

 

 

So everyone knows what you are talking about that 'height' is called "air draft" (the depth of water needed is called "draft")

Air draft will vary by waterway,

Some may be 6 feet, most will be 8' 6", some 10 feet and some 20+ feet.

If you intend to cruise then you need to work it on the lowest bridge height.

Edited February 17 by Alan de Enfield

[Fraclowe 6]

3 minutes ago, Chagall said:

Well, Im glad you didn't, but keep reading the forum and welcome by the way. 

thank u 

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

It will vary by waterway,

Some may be 6 feet, most will be 8' 6", some 10 feet and some 20+ feet.

If you intend to cruse then you need to work it on the lowest bridge height.

where do I go to get that info pls 

[Alan de Enfield 8011]

5 minutes ago, Fraclowe said:

thank u 

where do I go to get that info pls 

 

It is listed in the guidebooks for each canal, and is sometimes called 'headroom'

 

As an example for the Rivert Trent, the 'book' shows :

 

Shardlow to Meadow Lane lock

Length = 81'

Beam (width) 14' 6"

Headroom = 8'

 

Meadow Lane Lock to Gainsborough

Length = 165'

Beam = 18' 6"

Headroom = 13'

 

 

 

Example for the Chesterfield Canal

Length = 72'

Beam = 9'

Headroom = 7'

 

 

Edited February 17 by Alan de Enfield

[Fraclowe 6]

ok 

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It is listed in the guidebooks for each canal.

ok , thx 

[blackrose 1892]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

 

Most people buy a sailaway then spend three years trying to finish the job themselves.

 

Really? Where are you getting that information from? I don't have any data but my feeling is that most people buying canal boats either buy second hand or buy fully-fitted. I imagine it's actually a minority who buy sailaways and fit them out themselves.

[Ex Brummie 215]

21 minutes ago, Chagall said:

...and you are an extremely rude woman. 

Maybe I'm not as woke as you, but cannot see any reason why one cannot say what one thinks in a situation such as this. If more people called a spade a spade instead of a shovel, life would be so much simpler. 

(Oh dear, I've just realised what I've said, but I can remember it as a basic saying before myopic people became involved.)

[Alan de Enfield 8011]

1 minute ago, Ex Brummie said:

Maybe I'm not as woke as you, but cannot see any reason why one cannot say what one thinks in a situation such as this. If more people called a spade a spade instead of a shovel, life would be so much simpler. 

(Oh dear, I've just realised what I've said, but I can remember it as a basic saying before myopic people became involved.)

 

 

Unfortunately Lady G has a history of making some very silly and totally wrong statments.

It is difficult to believe anything she says - 'Crying wolf' enough times and no one believes you.

[Ex Brummie 215]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Unfortunately Lady G has a history of making some very silly and totally wrong statments.

It is difficult to believe anything she says - 'Crying wolf' enough times and no one believes you.

I'm well aware of Ldy G's history, but amongst it all there is a lot of common sense. If she has no one else to sound off against, then why deny her the opportunity to do so in a forum like this. ( A certain A De E has some controversial history)

[Lord Maffi of Oxford 192]

1 hour ago, Fraclowe said:

dammit, didn't notice that, was concentrating on the north part too much, so there is no way to do it then ? 

You could go to the Thames

 

 

[Fraclowe 6]

2 minutes ago, Maffi said:

You could go to the Thames

 

 

how do you mean, sail round into the north sea ?

 

[Lord Maffi of Oxford 192]

Yep! all the way around the east coast and up through the Thames.

1 minute ago, Fraclowe said:

how do you mean, sail round into the north sea ?

 

Then you could go to Lechlade or Bristol

[Fraclowe 6]

Just now, Maffi said:

Yep! all the way around the east coast and up through the Thames.

is that possible , I know I will have a 12ft w/b so it wont be quite as bad as a 6ft, heck if I can do it i'm off to calais